Renna's stall was nestled amongst the others. Fortunately for her, it was right smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the busy Marketplace lifestyle. On display in her booth, was an array of potted Rosa Giganteas - her white roses, grown by her own two hands....Uh....Claws....She stood smiling behidn her booth, rearranging the display every so often, adjusting the sign that read: 'Five Gold Pieces Each,' so that it could be better seen by passing potential customers....The blonde, had her hair tied back, and she wore a simply yellow sun dress. Dull red eyes, half lidded, almost lost in thought, even her smile was a touch half-curled.
Darius was making his way though the streets of the market place, looking at the wares that most of the merchants had. He stoped at the sight of the flowers lingering there and examining them with his eyes, The well maintained gottee was toyed with by the concealed fingers. A small grin formed on his lips before he chuckled. "Have you ever seen the Flamespouts of the Aloit volcano miss?" He chuckled softly and moved a finger toward the stem of one but stoped retracting his hand. "Forgive me, I should ask before touching your merchantdise....May I feel it?" He motioned to the flower and smiled softly, the grey heairs trimed his beard as his hair was about shoulder length, Though ash black to the sight.
Suddenly, someone was talking to her. It broke her from her vacant stare, and quickly she blinked, and lifted her head to view the man who had just reached to touch one of her flowers. She straightened her posture, and grasped her dual wickedly mechanical finger-bladed gauntlets together just in front of her chest as she spoke, "I don't think I've seen them, sir....And, oh yes, of course you." She smiled brightly to the man, inclining her head to one side, "Just be careful of the thorns. They're barely noticeable on these Rosa Gigantea hybrids." She hadn't met this man before. She turned, and dipped down to reach off of a small stool behind her a plate of white chocolate rose cookies. She offered one to the man. "Have a cookie. I baked them myself. They're free - all customers get a free cookie, even if they're just browsing."
He riased a hand to her and chuckled. "I can not..." He smiled to her and nodded touching the flower softly, the leather gloves protecting him from the thorns as he sighed. "Thank you for the offer though...How long did it take you to grow these wonderful plants?"
She smiled still regardless if he did not want to take a cookie. Instead, she placed the plate back down onto the stool behind her, her smilg simply glowing with pride at the complement to her flowers. "Two weeks. These flowers have been hybridized so that their growth rate is almost tripled the standard Rosa Gigantea....But it's a lot of work to maintain them. They need to be well cared for."
"Hm....I dont know if I could tend them, and im not to sure if Rande would either, Then again she does live pretty close to water..." He thought a moment and reached into a concealed pocket pulling out a single coin that he spun around his finger as it split apart into five seperate coins and he placed them in his palm offering it to her. "Ill take one...Miss..." He left a moment for her to introduce herself.
Woot! She got another sale. That made five this morning. She dipped again behind the booth's counter, holding now a cup full of gold coins towards the man, so that he may drop the coins into it. After all, if she tried to take the coins from him using her claws, he might not have any fingers left to carry the flower pot. She beamed, "Oh, the names Renna Egorwrath Bloodstone, and thank you very much sir for your purchase!" She smiled, "Please take any one you like, but I recommend that one," she pointed at one of the flowers inparticular, "He's a little older than the others, and stronger, too. He'll last a very long time if you look after him properly."
"Very well Miss Bloodstone." He looked at it and simled. "Perhaps next time i go to my homeland ill bring you a Flamespout...They dont shoot flame dont worry but they are a pheonix plant.." He chuckled and held up the one she spoke of, pot and all. "How well can this plant sustain heat?" he placed each of the coins into her cup and smiled softly. "They are beautiful....And naturaly beautiful plants are always tended by a beautiful woman.." Oh yes, hes still a charmer.
"B-beautiful..." Th....Thanks..." A flush of red crashes across her cheeks, threatening to expand to her nose. Her blush was very furious, but, well she sort of chuckled it away and tried so very hard to keep what she likes to call her: 'business face.' Renna settled the cup down, and nodded to his question, just a touch, "They do survive well in heat, but you need to make sure they're watered frequently if that's the case."
He smirked coily and chuckled as well. "Are you sure you dont need some water" Looks like you cant take to much heat yourself...You almost turned into the Yjas's hoof.." He chuckled and pointed slighlty to her blush and made a wide smirk. "But i must say, I think Rande will thank you as well for this beautiful flower M'lady" He looked up to the sun and smirked. "Well i do not know if she will be ariving here in the light of day..."
And now he's blatantly trying to make her even MORE embarrassed! She struggled to hold back her grin. The man was a nice person, and it's a change for Renna to meet someone who doesn't really know the stigma that follows her in every waking moment. "I'm fine, I have some wine back here to keep my lips company." Renna bowed her head forward a touch, blonde bangs covering her eyes now, "Thank you for your purchase, more so, sir. I hope your wife will enjoy the flower too..." She blinked, then, at his comment. "Oh....Has she some affliction with the sun?"
"Now now, to much wine and im sure i could make you end up giving your franchise to me.." He chuckled and leaned slightly on the stand, The Chain wraped under his cloak coming into view slightly. "Well, Sort of, shes more active during the night...I think its just a religious thing she has, Not much into it myself but none the less i support her and wont aim to try to get her to change her schedules.." He smiled to her. "Though of course not many people want to come see a local blacksmith at night and want to purcahse, instead you have a higher probability of geting murdered and having your gear taken then making a single coin." He nodded slightly, though most likely it was do to experiance...
Several nights past had her diving and gathering the tears the Mother would share with her, having enough to offer for sale in her modest stall at the end of one long row...that corner booth....far off the midpoint. One would have to be persistent in shopping to see all the vendors or look in particular for what she was selling to find her. She was that unusual, that much of a specialty. But displayed upon the countertop were several specimens laying against a background of black silk. So if her wares were there...might she likely be, as well"
She chuckled a touch, "It's hard for me to get drunk, sir. I'd have to drink a lot of wine to make that happen!" She mused. Renna blinked, and nodded a touch, "I see....Religious" Well that's....Okay I suppose....Yeah it is best not to force change on anyone. Especially those you love." She beamed a merry smile, as she turned to adjust a few boxes behind her. "Oh, yeah, the city at night is very dangerous....But....Heh, I don't get that problem." She turned, and held up her dual mechanical claws, smiling nervously, "Some times these things scare away people, but they're helpful for warding off thieves when I make my deliveries at night....And....Well, it's a double edged sword, these....Some times I scare away the customers with them, unintentionally, of course." She frowned deeply, leaning on the inside wall part of her floral booth, dull red eyes roaming the busy Marketplace.
Arms folded, her form lurked in the early morning shadows as she leaned up against the buildings. Her dark gaze floating over the day's start of business; she was watching one particular stall for some time now. The creak of leather giving her position away as she shifted her lean::
He raised a brow and offered a hand to her. "May i examine them more closer." As a blacksmith and well, a relatively capable inventor he desired to look at them to understand what they looked like, how it worked, to see if it was her hand or if she was wearing a gauntlet, How ever he did not know if Rande would be at her little stall until later, when he goes to visit her. "Such things are always worth taking a look at...You never know what you may learn from diffrent people.."
Her tongue ran over her back teeth as her jaw shifted. The Scathachian's attention shifted to bring this man into the fold. Still far enough away to barely pick up the gist of their conversation, she could read body language well enough. And she knew enough to keep her eyes peeled.
"Oh....My....Hands?" She held one of those gauntlets out towards him....The black alloyed metal was covered in barely glowing runes of Infernal, Angelic and Elfin in origin. The metal itself is not of this realm, and if anything, not of any realm. Although the gauntlet was plated, the articulations of the fingers were absolute. The forehand of the gauntlet, appeared like it could open up to reveal a hidden compartment. Be careful though, those finger blades are deadly sharp....And don't worry about the power of Necromancy practically pouring from the metal, it just makes the gauntlets feel ice-cold to the touch. "....Oh I see. Well....I don't know how they work, really....Only Mantic-I mean, my sister, knows....She made them." And they were indeed her hands.
She was standing behind her stall, facing in the direction of the sea, arms flung about herself in a self-hug, breathing deeply....close enough to be ready should anyone wish to examine the pearls on display.....yet far enough to not be engaged yet in the crush of sellers and buyers traveling throughout the area....one in particular on her mind, as she drank in from the Mother the strength and peace of Her ways.
And she barely noticed Issy staring at her all that time. Her attention was firmly on the man's interest in her gauntlets. "She's coming soon, you could ask her when she arrives."
Her ebon gaze drifted over the pearl peddler as well. Only once did she see a two small boys lurking about that stall. But as she watched them, they looked up while the stall's mistress was faced the other way; in catching the Judge's stern gaze and slow shake of her head, they skedaddled away quickly, leaving the pearls to their mistress. Her eyes once more turned toward Renna and her customer.
He took her hand carefuly into his and looked it over his eyes taking in the engravings and taking his time examing it..."Magic, runic magic perhaps?" He was speaking outloud examing the runes..."I can understand a few of them, But some of them are strange, I may know quite a few languages but..." His hands taped the Angelic runes. "I do not understand these ones..." He let go of her hand and smiled slightly his eyes turn to Issy and quickly followed her eyes to see Rande...."Well, Theres my lass, Ill leave you and your friend" Sister" is this her?" Motioning to Issy and chuckling...."And well, i learn more about it if i study it myself....can never trust a creator to reaveal all the secrets of something.." He gave Renna a nod and bowed slightly. "I must take my leave m'lady, May Yjas watch over your steps." he kissed his fingers and placed the finger on the gauntlet softly before heading off to visit Rande with the plant he had purchased for her.
Renna glanced to the rune he tapped, and she smiled, "It means Soul. But there are some that even I can't read....It's a pretty old language of my home land, and, well, since I didn't make these things, I can't really translate the others..." Renna tilted her head a touch, and then turned to see where the man was looking off to. She finally spotted Issy when he indicated her. "Oh, no, that's not my sister....My sister and I we're....Twins..." She nervously shifted on the spot, and smiled to him, thank you again for your purchase. If you have any problems with the flower I'd be glad to come round and help!" She waved to him with her deadly fingerblades, "May Nemesis smile on you, sir!" She lost her smile, and her eyes lost their cheery expression, when she regarded Issy with dull red eyes. After a momen't stare, she smiled, and, gave the woman a motion of her hand to beckon her closer.
Whatever was hers was offered in kind to whoever had need, for they were given to her in the same way by the Sea. Feeling the disturbance, but it was as if a little nudge against her elbow, nothing malicious, just street urchins who had not enough to eat and no one to care for them....she would have allowed the theft under such circumstances...and made no move to interfere with whatever they needed for the necessity of their sustenance. Yet she would have also thanked she who protected the
pearls by her firm stare, had she had the chance to do so. She breathed in deeply again and a singular scent drifted to her senses....causing her sea-blue-green eyes to flutter open. She had spent enough time in his presence to know it was he. She turned to face out to the marketplace, taking a step into the booth, nearing the counter to look across it. Where"
As the pair looked at her, she shifted once again. The groan of her leather vest signaled her movement. The Judge circled back and around, through the Marketplace, like a shark circumventing its prey. She slipped through the stalls as if she were nothing more than the wind. The blades of her Order swinging lightly against her hips, though never touching even the veils of fabric that wafted from some of the stalls as the morning breeze carried through the bazaar with the promise of the sea nearby. As she moved past the pearl vendor, she nodded to the woman lightly and paused nearby to watch Renna and the gentleman from a different vantage point.
Though she could smell him, he knew his ways to avoid the sight. to mold to the environment as he watched her carefully and moved inside the hustled streets of the market, Though making sure to elude her eye sight and sneak up on her before wraping a arm around her waist, holding the plant up to her. "Ah...Vedri, M'lady Rande....A flower for my hearts eyes?" He held the flower her had purchased from Renna up for Rande to view.
There's....Something of a strange feeling creeping up inside her....You know that feeling, when you're in a dark alley, and you think someone's behind you with a knife, ready to slit your throat at a moment's notice" Yeah' She's got that feeling all of a sudden when she lost sight of Issy, as she moved away. Oh....Maybe she didn't see her gesture" She frowned again, and turned to open up a box behind her, taking out another plant pot with another rose happily sat within. She sighed a touch, her dull red eyes half lidded again. She held the rose up to her face, and took a deep sniff of the flower's aroma. "Hey there little man, one of your brothers just got sold! Isn't that great?" She was indeed talking to the rose.
Just in time to spy the leatherclad warrior, for what else would she be with such weapons hanging at her side, and Tyrande being one would know, she acknowledged her nod with a fist to her chest, the warrior way of greeting, and a demure nod, the two gestures not seeming to fit together, but from Rande they would strangely mesh. So caught in her greeting to the woman, Darius did indeed sneak up on her, his arm about her before she realized it would be there, but his voice followed the touch soon
enough to have her halfway turn into him, the flower noticed. A peace offering for his absence" He would be lucky, this time! so said her small gift of a smile. "For me" How lovely. Thank you love." She kissed his cheek in graditude and let him set the flower on the counter, enchanted with its color. "What kind is it?"
The link between the two stalls was this man, who now received all of the silent scrutiny of the well-practiced priestess of Scathach. And while she did dip her chin in acknowledgement of the woman's gesture, she remained aloof...and all for Renna. She was ever aware of what she was capable of; and never, under any circumstance, would Isuelt ever let her guard down around her. There had been too many years, too many battles fought, too much blood between them.
"Well my dear i beleive this flower was called a 'Rosa Gigantea'....A nice lass Named M'lady Bloodstone was selling them so i figured you would enjoy it....Pardon my absence ive been having to knock my apprentice upside the head a few times geting his head back into the fact he has a trade he must learn. Oh, and it seems they are getting married as well him and his eclipse.." He chuckled softly and sat down behind her stall, relaxing slightly and smirking. "Why have you not come visit me at home" Have not leanred to summon Yjas yet' Well i supose i still need to teac hyou how to do that.." He smiled and chuckled softly.
She settled the plant down next to the others, and sighed. Then she looked up. A young girl was at her stall now, and could barely see over the stall's table. The blonde blinked, and leaned over her plants to look down at the girl who stared back up to her. She smiled sweetly to the girl, "Hey there! What're ya doing down there, little girl" Oh!" She turned and grabbed the plate of white chocolate rose cookies, and held it down for the girl, "Would you like some cookies" They're chocolatey yummy!" The girl, just blinked, looked to the cookies, took one, and was about to plop it into her mouth when....Her Mother came into the picture. The mother scooped the girl up, and rebuked her harshly about talking to strangers, especially criminals....Renna blinked, was about to say something, but instead, she got slapped across the face. The mother stormed off, child in tow, kicking and screaming....Leaving Renna at her stall, nursing her burning hot cheek with an icy cold gauntlet...
Renna looked, well, sad, now. Even some tears started in the corners of her eyes. But she smiled. All she could do was smile, and, not feel hatred. NO....She can't feel hatred. "....Heh." She giggled a little, "Silly kids..."
As if an alarm had gone off, Isuelt's slinking gave way to a straightened posture. She went rigid as her body jumped to full attention. A small girl. Renna. An offering of sweets. In the Judge's mind, this was a gruesome fairy tale in action. Her throat was suddenly full as it held her heart, her boots carried her closer to Renna's stall....And then, her mother saved the day. But Renna looked...so...unsettlingly unphased by the behavior. Odd.
The Giant Rose" roses" He had no idea what roses meant to her....or did he" Did he somehow sense things about her she had never shared with him' She loved him for some reasons, maybe that was one she didn't even realize! When he sat, she moved with him, leaning up against him, close to him, a finger extended to touch gently the side of his face, the shell of his ear, the line of his chin. "It seems you keep some secrets yet from one who would know all about you, Darius. If you would allow it."
"Some secrets are not to be shared, Some secrets are traits even a daemon would resent, Though to summon a Yjas it will take a very very complicated procedure my love.." he wraped a arm around her softly and smiled...."Like how i hate water....it burns my flesh do to the pact i took.." he nodded and smiled to her softly.
Her fingertip trailed across his lips even as he was speaking and when he stopped she pressed her own to his in a soft and chaste, and very brief, kiss, but her voice was filled with concern. "The Mother hurts you so' I have never known the Mother to be so unkind, without reason." Beginning to understand him just a little bit more, she frowned. "We do have some differences it would seem." Unspoken her worry that what those were, would not keep them apart but she was still learning of those too.
"like you, The flames Curate my flesh....the flame of the Yjas is the purity of my life...Water Burns as flame serenades.." He said after he returned the kiss to Rande with a small "But opposites always attract dear.." His hand slowly taking hers into his as he pet the roof of it and chuckled.
She looked down at their hands so entwined, then raised her gaze to his. "But water quenches the flame, extinguishes it so that it will not rise and flourish. Do you think....it will be that difficult....for us I mean?" She was thinking that if they were doomed before they even began, if they were that opposite....no, she did not want to think on that further. She squeezed his hand, holding it perhaps more tightly than normal, afraid of what it might mean to pull away.
"As long as you do not try to force me into water i think we will be just fine....a few flaws in our little way i supose its a good obsticle to overcome my love.." He nodded and removed his hand showing the small almost lava looking veins. "This is a sign that i may become a Yjasmir, My life may be extended my love, even after i pass of human age, i will still be here with you....Flames always appear, even if one dies it can spark up once again. You agreed to wait for me...to see if i do come back.." a hand slowly petting her cheek as he kissed her lips softly again. "Just because death threatens us, that we are different, do not let it tell us that we are not meant to be Rande...I may be a shadow...But forever will my fire burn inside your heart."
